If you need any further confirmation that former President Barack Obama is by far the coolest leader this country has ever had, just check him out hanging with the United States men’s basketball team this week.
The former president turned up at a party celebrating USA Basketball’s 50th anniversary to show his support for the team and deliver some words of encouragement to the athletes ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. But folks on social media can’t help but suggest that the whole exchange was life imitating art, comparing it to a hilarious comedy sketch.
In the video, the former president is seen giving very presidential handshakes to Team USA’s coaching staff, including Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra and Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr. But that was only after he was seen hugging and dapping up members of the team, including Anthony Edwards, Steph Curry and LeBron James.
“It is true I am the Hooper-in-Chief,” Obama told the team. “I just want to come here to help send off the soon-to-be gold medal winners. We invented this game, and I don’t like it when we don’t win.”
Watching the way the former president interacts with the coaches and the players, it’s hard not to think about the now-viral Obama Meet and Greet sketch from Comedy Central’s Key & Peele show. In the sketch, Jordan Peele portrays the president code switching in the most hilarious way when meeting Black and white and people after delivering a speech. Even if you’ve seen it, it’s worth watching again here:
Although Team USA is packed with NBA superstars, some of the players couldn’t help but fan out over Obama’s visit.
“To have President Obama come – and he’s great with the microphone and really inspiring with his words – it was cool to set us off into this journey this summer with celebrating the 50 years of USAB and what we’re trying to do this summer,” said Golden State Warriors star and Team USA member Steph Curry. “So I got goosebumps while he was talking.”
Oh, if it weren’t for those damn term limits.